The world’s largest sponge videotaped in the Pacific ocean

28.05.2016

In the Northwest Hawaiian archipelago, a group of American scientists under the direction of Daniel Wagner of the National oceanic and atmospheric administration, the U.S. found and took video of the largest sponges known to date. She was found at a depth of about 2,100 meters.

Length giant sponge reaches 3.5 metres, height 2 metres, width is about 1.5 meters. Thus, it is approximately two times larger than the previous record holder, last detected near East coast of Canada. Because these creatures grow very slowly, more than impressive dimensions of “champion” talk about his very advanced age — experts admit that the sponge several hundred, if not thousands of years.

As reported by one of the authors of the opening, Daniel Wagner, the fact that the sponge was a survivor, not a sensation — one of her brothers managed to survive 4.5 thousand years. However, experts note that the exact age of the sponges very difficult to define, as clear evidence enabling it to calculate, like the annual rings of trees, sponges are absent. One of the secrets of longevity findings is that sponge lucky to dwell in the territory, part of the UNESCO world heritage site and protected from negative human impact.

It is believed that the first sponges were among the first animals appeared on Earth, and 750 million years ago, they highly contributed to the fact that the ocean became fit for various forms of life.

By the way, recently a group of scientists from St. Andrews University in the UK made with the assumption that at the bottom of the oceans are thousands of giant squid, which can reach twenty feet in length. Previously it was assumed that they may not be larger than 13 meters.